Kagan and Soai Receive 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry
The South China Morning Post reports that Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai were awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their work on non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis.
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According to the South China Morning Post, the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was granted to Henri B. Kagan and Kenso Soai in recognition of their discovery concerning non-linear effects and autocatalysis within asymmetric organic synthesis.
Heiner Linke, who serves as the chair of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, stated that this year's award pertains to fundamental chemistry. He noted that many molecules exist in two distinct forms, which are mirror images of each other but are not identical, and these molecules are termed chiral, derived from the Greek word for hand.
Linke further mentioned that Kagan and Soai have offered a resolution to a chemical question that has persisted for over a century: the manner in which homochirality can arise spontaneously, describing the chemical reactions they developed as spectacular.
Henri Kagan, who is 95 years old and was born in France, is associated with Universite Paris-Sud in Orsay, France. Kenso Soai, who is 76 years old and was born in Japan, is affiliated with the Tokyo University of Science.
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